00:00France is grappling with its worst unrest in years as protests over rising living costs
00:06and deteriorating public services erupt into widespread violence,
00:10with demonstrations also reported in other parts of Europe.
00:14More than half a million people took to the streets over the weekend,
00:18with protests in cities including Paris, Marseille and Lyon descending into rioting.
00:23Businesses were looted, properties destroyed and public buildings set ablaze.
00:29Authorities say that at least 2,400 people have been arrested.
00:34France deployed 60,000 police and security personnel,
00:38but Interior Minister Laurent Nunez acknowledged that the force was unable to contain violent crowds in some cities.
00:45Nunez offered his resignation after the riots, but President Emmanuel Macron refused to accept it,
00:52asking him instead with developing new measures to restore order.
00:59An emergency cabinet meeting is taking place today to address the unrest.
01:03What began last month with students demanding better conditions in schools
01:07has since widened into a broader backlash over the cost of living and the decline in public services.
01:14The unrest has also echoed beyond France,
01:17with demonstrations reported in Belgium, Italy and Portugal,
01:21as rising living costs continue to fill public anger across Europe.
